Scientists Found Gene Responsible for Fighting Obesity Caused by High Calorie Binge Eating

An obesity gene has been found to be responsible for governing our tendency to binge eat high calorie food, according to a new study by scientists in Japan. The study emphasizes that the presence and proper function of the gene could determine if one could become obese or not through excessive eating.

Obesity Gene

(Photo : Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The study was published in the FASEB Journal on November 9, where researchers from the Osaka Metropolitan University revealed that genetic mechanism that govern are tendency to give or avoid high-calorie food that can lead to obesity. Although there are many factors causing obesity, the Japan-based research team points out to the gene called CREB-Regulated Transcription Coactivator 1 (CRTC1).

The team found the relation of the CRTC 1 gene with obesity when they "deleted" it in mice, the became obese. The experimental study indicate that the genes function is to suppress obesity. Since CRTC1 is expressed in all neuron inside the rain, the specific neurons responsible for fighting obesity and its mechanism remains unknown, according to the study.

Also Read: Fat Fish and Obesity: Binge Eating Gene Shared With Humans

What is Obesity?

Obesity, as well as overweight, are a state of an individual experiencing abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that poses a risk to health, according to health authorities. One is considered to be overweight when his or her body mass index (BMI) is over 25. Meanwhile, a person is obese when the BMI unit is above 30.

In 2017, such health issue has grown to epidemic levels, with over 4 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese. Rates of overweight and obesity continued to increase amongst adults and children. From 1975 to 2016, the such issue has increased more than four-fold from 4% to 18% globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

While obesity is on the other side of the coin from malnutrition or underweight, it still pose various health risks as mentioned before since it serve as a gateway for diabetes, high-blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and even death. The WHO states in today's time more people are obese than underweight in every region of the world except sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Once considered a burden in high-income countries, overweight and obesity are increasing in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban areas, the organization says. Furthermore, the majority of overweight or obese children live in developing countries, where the rate of increase has been over 30% higher than developed countries.

Obesity and Genetics

Anecdotal evidence and other sources have long blamed unhealthy eating habits, food, and lifestyle to be the major factors on the development of obesity. However, experts have also gazed on a different angle, where they consider genetics to be linked with obesity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 2006, genome-wide association studies have determined over 50 genes associated with obesity, but most had very small effects. Some of these genes also had variants that are connected with monogenic obesity, a biological phenomenon observed in many other common conditions.

Still, scientists seem to suggest that most obesity cases are multi-factorial, which pertains to several, complex interactions among many genes and environmental factors. In short, the cause of obesity is not linear since it involves many factors.